Photographic camera.



No. 720,694. PATEN'I'ED PEB.17, 1903. L. J. R. HOLST.

PH OTOGRAPHIG CAMERA.

APPLIUATION PILBD AUG. 27, 1901.

I0 IODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED FEB. 17, 1903.

J. R. HOLST. PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA. APPLIOATIOY I'ILEDAUG. 27. 1901.

no MODEL.

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1t fi u 1 Witnesses m: norms PEYsRsco, pnuvo-Llwoi, wAsmnmox a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LODEWYK JAN RUTGER HOLST, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDSTO LOUIS BORSUM, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAM ERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,694, dated February17, 1903.

Application filed August 27, 1901. Serial No. 73,425. (No model.)

T all whOm/ it 1] OOHOGWM V A is an ordinary objective, which may be Beit known that I, LODEWYK JAN RUTGER mounted and adjusted in any suitableway. I'IOLST, a subject of the Queen of the Nether- As shown, theobjective carries a rack a, lands, (but having declared my intention ofguided byaguide-plate a Apinion (1 gears 55, 5 becoming a citizen of theUnited States and with the rack, and the shaft of the pinion may havingtaken out my first naturalization-pacarry a handle of any suitableconstruction. pers,) residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in Heretoforein cameras of this class the finder the city ofNew York, State of NewYork, have and shutter and associated parts have been invented certainnew and useful Improveindependently mounted within the box and 60 I0ments in Photographic Cameras, of which the appropriately secured to thebottom and sides following is a specification. thereof. Such a mode ofconstruction in- This invention relates to cameras of the volvesconsiderable labor in assembling and class in which movable-mirrorfinders located presents also difficulties when repairs are rebetweenthe shutter and the lens are emquired. 65 ployed and in which the mirroris moved out The primary feature of the present invenof thewayimmediately preceding the tripping tion consists in employing a rigidframe,which of the shutter. v is preferably of metal and which may beThe purpose of the invention is to provide formed of one or more pieces.The shutter, an organization which will facilitate the asfinder devices,and tripping-lever also, if de- 70 2o sembling of the different parts ofthe camera, sired, are all mounted and adjusted in this afford a readymeans of access to all of its frame, which is afterward seated andpropparts for repair or adjustment, and maintain erly secured within thebox or casing, so that the parts, including the finder and shutter itmay be readily removed whenever desired. devices, in proper position orrelation irre- The frame may be carried by the top board 75 spective ofdistortion of the camera-box due to of the box and the two parts placedin posiwarping or other causes. These ends are action at the same time.complished by the organization hereinafter Of course the structure ofthe frame may set forth, which includes in addition to those beconsiderably varied. The preferred conmentioned certain other featuresof construcstruction is, however, as follows: Two skele- 8o tion relatedthereto. ton side pieces B, which may be of cast metal,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is are cross-connected at thebottom by a crossa vertical longitudinal central section; Fig. 2, piece0, preferably cast with them, and by a a view in horizontal section,taken just below transverse light-guard wall D, against which the coverand just above the upper shutterthe front flange e of the finder-frameabuts, 85 roll, some oftheparts beingremoved and some as usual, when thelatter is depressed. The

being broken away in order to better illusside pieces are shaped tosupport the mirrortrate otherparts; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical finderframe E at the proper angle, and at section takenjustin rear of theshutter. Figs. their upper ends angle-plates F are bolted to at, 5, and6 are detail views showing devices them and also to a cross-piece G.Extending 9o that may be employed for tripping the shutupwardly andforwardly from the side pieces ter and adjusting the tension of theshutter and preferably formed integrally with them spring drum or roll.Fig. 7 is an elevation are arms H, bolted at the top at h to a cross ofthe plate-holder. Fig. 8 shows an elevapiece or board I, which issecured in turn to vtion of one side of the separable supportingacross-bar 1, located above it. The light- 5 frame carrying the shutter,the finder dewell 1 of the finder is supported by the crossvices, thetripping-lever, and other associated bar G and cross-board I. Ifdesired, the parts. Fig. 9 is an elevation of the opposite frame thusfar described may be secured to side thereof. 1 the bottom of thecamera-box, as indicated at The ordinary camera-box is provided wit d,Fig. 1. The lower curtain-roll or spring 100 appropriate openings anddoors, as usual or drum J is mounted in bearings in the side as may bedesirable. pieces B, and the upper roll J is similarly sponding groovein the top board t".

mounted in the angle-plates F. J is the ordinary curtain-shutter woundon these rolls. The light-guard frame E is hinged upon a rod E, mountedbetween the upper ends of the side pieces, or it may be between theanglepieces F. It is formed, as usual, with grooves 1 2 3 at the sidesand back of the mirror E into which enter the edges of the light-wellextending below the ground glass I when the frame E is elevated. Therear wall of the rear groove 2 is somewhat raised and beveled orinclined toward the rear, so as to cooperate with the rear edge or wall2 of the light-well to prevent passage of light-rays toward the shutter.To further protect the shutter from light-rays, a flexible light-guard4, (see Fig. 3,) which may be plush, velvet, leather, or other suitablematerial, is attached to the wall 2 and bears against the rod E.Ordinary bottom and side light-guard strips, composed of a transversebottom part K and vertical side parts K, are attached to the side pieces13. The transverse bar G, forming the upper rear edge of the frame thathas been described, fits closely under a strip L, forming part of thecamera-box and rigidly attached to the sides thereof. The transverse barI may be formed with a rib t', fitting in a corre- It will be apparentthat when the frame is placed in position secured to the bottom of thebox at d and the top board secured in place the frame and all the partscarried by it will be firmly held in fixed relation to each other and tothe camera-box. To further secure the frame in place, I prefer to placejust inside the light-well opening, of which t' is the cover, strips 71screwed to the sides of the boX and bearing upon the cross-board I andthe crossbar G. It will be obvious that the frame may readily bedetached and removed. The 1ever M for lifting the mirror-frame and thentripping the shutter may be pivoted at m upon the part II of one of theside pieces, and by disconnecting the tripping slide or button M fromthe link h connected with the front end of the lever, the lever may alsobe removed with the frame.

In Fig. l the link M is shown by dotted lines. The slide or buttonengages the lower end of this link, and by properly manipulating thebutton the front end of the lever M may be lowered and raised tocorrespondingly raise and lower the mirror. The rear end of the lever Mhas a sliding connection with a loop m, attached to the mirror-frame.The upper shutter-roll J is normally held against rotation by a pawl w,pivoted to the top of the frame and engaging a ratchet-wheel on theshaft of the roller. After the lever M has raised the mirror it engagesthe pawl :0 and releases it from the ratchet.

It is obvious that the rigid frame composed of the several separateparts mentioned may be of integral construction and that the light-Well, shaft, shutter devices, mirror finder frame, light-guards, andtripping-lever may all with facility be assembled within or upon theframe and the frame then placed in position in the box and secured asdescribed. This mode of construction is of course a large saving oflabor and possesses other advantages, some of which have been suggested.The cross-bar I and the top board of the box may be rigidly united, ifdesired, so that by loosening the top board, removing the strips 2' andthe screws (1 the top board and the frame may be lifted from the box.

It will be apparent that in a camera constructed according to theprinciple described some means of winding up the shutter and regulatingthe tension of the shutter springdrum must be adopted that will permitof the assembling of the apparatus and the removal when desired of theframe. Instead of em ployiug at the side of the camera removable buttonshaving spindles or parts that pass through apertures in the side wallsand properly engage the two shu tter-rolls I have adopted a constructionin which the devices for regulating the tension of the shutter and forwinding it are all carried upon the-removable frame.

Preferably the construction is as follows: At one side of the frame onthe part II is mounted a spring-drum N. A cord at, wound around itand-having one end attached to it, passes to the upper or winding roll Jof the shutter, thence up through an aperture in the cross-bar Gr, whereit is formed with a head or knot at, where it is conveniently accessiblewhen the cover t is lifted. Referring to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, it will beseen that the cord n passes once around a sleeve 0 on one end of theroll J, thence over or around a laterally-projecting pin 0 in the end ofa pivoted pawl 0, from whence it passes up through the aperture in thecross-bar G, as shown in Fig. 1. The sleeve 0 has a circular flange 0upon which the pawl is pivoted and which carries a spring 0 bearing onthe farther end of the pawl and normally tending to throw its other endout of engagement with a ratchet-wheel P, fast on the roll. The pin 0travels in a slot 0 in the circular flange. The shutter is wound byseizing the knot or head it and drawing up the cord, thereby engagingthe pawl O with the ratchet-wheel P and rotating the roll J. When thecord is released, it is rewound upon the spring-drum N; but the endbeing slack the spring 0 is permitted to press the pawl out ofengagement with the ratchetwheel. The roll J is dogged, of course, bythe ordinary tripping-latch or, already referred to. This operation isrepeated as often as is necessary to wind the shutter. Of course thearrangement may be such that the shutter may be fully wound by onemanipulation of the cord. As will be seen in Fig. 2, the cord 11 passesfrom the spring-drum to the roll J along the space between the side ofthe lightwell and the wall of the box. The tension of the shutter isadjusted by a similar arrangement, (shown in Fig. 8,) Q being thespring- ICO drum, mounted on the part H of the other side piece of theframe, and q the cord running therefrom and passing through an apertureat q in the inclined part of the frame normally supporting thefinder-frame, from whence the cord passes around a sleeve looselymounted on the spindle of the spring of the lower roll or drum J, fromwhence it passes upwardly through an aperture in the cross-bar thereof.The arrangement is the same in all respects, as already described, andshown in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6, exceptthat of course the spindle of thespring is wound to adjust its tension. A ratchet-wheel g Figs. 2 and 8,on the springdrum spindle is engaged bya pivoted detent latch or dog (1to maintain the tension of the spring when adjusted in the mannerdescribed. The farther end of this latch carries a small buttonprojecting into an aperture in the bottom plate of the camera, asindicated by the dotted lines g, Figs. 2 and 8, and also in Fig. 3. Bypressing on this button the latch may be disengaged from the wheel gwhen the spindle of the spring-roll J will react and reestablish thenormal tension.

In rear of the shutter is the plate-holderreceiving chamber R, at thesides of which are inwardly-projecting flanges 7", against the inneredges of which the curtain shutter travels. These flanges are, as shown,preferably of greatest width at their central parts midway between theshutter-rolls and are of diminishing width toward their upper and lowerends, the purpose of thus shaping them being to properly separate thecurtain to prevent its fluttering.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a photographic camera, the combinationwith the box, of a frame removably seated in the box, the focal-planeshutter and finder devices mounted upon the frame and removabletherewith, and the lever, for lifting the finder and stripping theshutter, pivoted on the frame.

2. In a photographic camera, the combination of the box, a frameremovably seated in the box, and, finder devices, focal-plane-shutterrolls, the finder light-shaft, and the lever for lifting the finder andtripping the shutter, all mounted on the frame and removable therewith.

3. In a photographic camera, the combination with the box, of a frameconstructed independently of the box, the focal-plane shutter, finderand associated parts mounted in the frame, the frame, after assemblageof the parts thereon, being adapted to be seated within the box betweenthe objective and the plate-holder chamber, and the lever, for liftingthe finder and tripping the shutter, pivoted on the frame.

4. In a photographic camera, the combination of the box, anindependently-constructed frame adapted to be removably seated in thebox, the focal-plane shutter and finder devices mounted on the frame,means for winding the focal-plane shutter also mounted on the frame, andthe lever, for lifting the finder and tripping the shutter, pivoted onthe frame.

5. In a photographic camera, the combination of the box, aseparatelyconstructed frame adapted to be removably seated within thebox, the finder devices and focal-planeshutter rolls mounted in. theframe, a cord for winding the focal-plane shutter and its springdrumalso mounted on the frame.

6. In a photographic camera, the combination of the box, theseparately-constructed frame adapted to be removably seated within thebox, the finder devices and focal-planeshutter rolls mounted in theframe, the cord for winding the shutter and its spring-drum also mountedon the frame, and the cord for adjusting the tension of the focal-planeshutter and its spring-drum also mounted on the frame.

7. In a photographic camera, the combination of the box, a frameremovably seated in the box, focal plane -shutter rolls mounted in theframe, a sleeve applied loosely to one of the rolls, a ratchet-wheel onthe roll-shaft, a pawl on the sleeve adapted to engage the ratchet, acord passing around the sleeve and over the pin on the pawl, and thespringdrum on the frame to which the cord is attached whereby a pullupon the cord rotates the winding-roll and, when the cord is released,the spring-drum takes it up again without its operating upon the roll.

8. In a photographic camera, the combination with the box, of a frameremovably seated in the box, and the focal-plane shutter and finderdevices mounted upon the frame and removable therewith.

9. In a photographic camera, the combination of the box, a frameremovably seated in the box, and, finder devices, shutter-rolls and thefinder light-shaft, mounted on the frame and removable therewith.

10. In a photographic camera, the combination with the box, of a frameconstructed independently of the box and the focal-planeshutter finderand associated parts mounted in the frame, the frame, after assemblageof the parts thereon, being adapted to be seated within the box betweenthe objective and the plate-holder chamber.

ICC

11. In a photographic camera, the combina- I tion of the box, anindependently-constructed frame adapted to be removably seated in thebox, the focal-plane shutter and finder devices mounted on the frame andmeans for winding the focal-plane shutter also mounted on the frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LODEWYK JAN RUTGER HOLST,

